A 62-year-old Syrian man in Austria is facing trial on charges of fraud after allegedly collecting nearly €200,000 in social benefits over a decade while withholding his dual citizenship.
Prosecutors claim he received up to €1,400 in monthly support and health insurance benefits from August 2014 to January 2024, despite holding Turkish citizenship, which could affect his eligibility.
The man initially entered Austria in 2013, seeking asylum and citing Syria’s civil war. He received housing and benefits in Burgenland after his stay at the Traiskirchen asylum center. However, authorities later found a Turkish passport in his apartment, raising suspicions about his nationality and triggering an investigation into his asylum status.
The defendant insists he provided accurate information and claims innocence, with his lawyer arguing that his residence was granted based on subsidiary protection. He maintains he was transparent with officials, asserting that his family members only hold Syrian citizenship and that he’s lived primarily in Austria. When questioned, he suggested he wasn’t explicitly informed to disclose dual citizenship.
Currently living on monthly state support, the man has mostly remained unemployed throughout his 11 years in Austria. The judge has postponed the trial pending the results of ongoing immigration procedures.
